Case Study · 2024

2024 overside cosmetic props for YSL POP UP display

Custom oversized powder compact props visual merchandising

Client
YSL(Yves Saint Laurent)
Discipline
3D Printing / LED Back-Lighting
Location
China (Mainland)
Year
2024
2024 overside cosmetic props for  YSL POP UP display
YSL pop-up store installation — oversized powder compact props
01 — The Challenge

Where the project began

YSL’s brief was built around a single hero object scaled up: the brand’s iconic powder compact, enlarged into a series of stand alone display props and a back-lit wall installation— gold plated logo lettering, leather-grain lid texture.

Working from the client’s pop-up store render package, the first challenge was translating a single sculptural object into a producible, transportable system

From sketch to proposal

Rather than attempting to produce the compact as a single moulded form, we proposed a three-module construction: an electroplated gold logo lettering piece, a 3D-printed lid carrying the leather-grain texture (with colourway changing per module to represent different products in the YSL powder line), and an electroplated gold base ring — with LED lighting and mounting hardware concealed in the cavity between lid and base.

Colorful abstract digital artwork with geometric shapes and patterns
Beauty is in the detail you're not supposed to notice
— VM Display Production Team · YSL Pop-Up 2024
Materials Craft
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  • 3D-printed resin was used for the lid components-produce a fine, irregular leather-grain surface texture far more convincingly
  • LED lighting modules were selected for low heat output
  • Concealed metal mounting fittings at the rear of each module allow secure attachment to both freestanding bases and the back-lit wall structure
  • Texture control in 3D printing directly— to show out clear and fine leather texture finish
  • Vacuum electroplating at controlled temperature — the 50–60°C plating process was managed with temperature-stable component geometry and staged cooling
  • Light-leak prevention — the gap between lid and base modules was engineered with a stepped seam profile rather than a flat butt joint
  • Modular assembly fitting — each of the three modules (logo lettering, lid, base circle) was dry-fitted and adjusted at the factory before shipping
03 — The Craft

The making

With a 10-day total POP up store display resolution, production, and installation, every stage of this project ran on a compressed and tightly monitored schedule. The render package was broken down into the three-module system within the first 24 hours, with production specifications issued to the 3D printing, electroplating, and assembling teams in parallel on day one.

04 — The Outcome

The final presentation

The completed pop-up installation delivered the precision and presence YSL’s brief demanded — freestanding compact props with the reflective gold detailing and leather-grain texture of the real product at architectural scale, and a back-lit wall installation where the glow reads evenly across every compact face with no visible light leak at the seams.

10 days
Whole production time
3
Modular components
50–60°C
Vacuum plating temperature
2024 overside cosmetic props for  YSL POP UP display final
Our Process

How we execute the project

A structured workflow that keeps the brand in control from brief to delivery.

01

Brief & Concept Alignment

References, dimensions, quantity and finish confirmed up front.

02

3D Modelling & Scale Drawing

Full renders and technical drawings shared for client sign-off before any physical work.

03

Prototype & Review

A single sample is produced and documented for feedback and approval.

04

Production & Delivery

Approved units manufactured, quality-checked and flat-packed for shipping.

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